“My card.” Robyn set a copy of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the table. “You don’t believe me? Here.”

Tamati looked over to Shelby a confused look on his face, what did a book by that old dead guy Shakespeare have anything to do with Robyn then his attention was caught by the events unfolding on the other table.

Royce took a drink of orange juice and then set it down slowly. He smiled at the boy sitting across from him—at Patrick Brown. He reached across the table, put his hand over Patrick’s, and winked.

Patrick ripped his hand away. He was out of his seat in a flash. He dove across the table and punched the other teen in the eye. As the rest of the room moved to break them up, Robyn grinned at Shelby. “So, what do you say? Want me to make your mom and dad fall in love?”

For a moment Tamati couldn't believe his eyes, did that freshman just make a pass at the other boy after drinking the juice that Robyn had spiked and yeah maybe the reaction was a bit over the top but not entirely unexpected considering but still ... what the heck is going on.

"What the ... how did you do that? That's ba.. I mean can you reverse it?"

Beatrice held the door open and stepped aside. “Is zis going to take long?” she asked. “I ‘ave plans to meet my boyfriend for breakfast…”

“Hopefully not,” Dennis said, letting his own voice slither out, rather than Robyn’s. Still, he maintained the visual illusion. Still guised as Robyn, he took the door and closed it behind him. Once it was shut, he leaned back against the door.

“Move Dennis,” Beatrice said firmly.

“Dennis?” she heard Otso ask as he raced from his room. “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing!?! Did Robyn put you up to this?”

“Otso’s on that phone call, isn’t he? That’s fine. Better to have him listen in and avoid any misunderstandings.”

Beatrice took the phone and put it on speaker. “Get ze ‘eadmaster, love. Tell ‘im Dennis is ‘olding me in my room.”

“Dennis? What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing!?!” roared Otso across the phone’s speakers. “Did Robyn put you up to this?”

“I was hoping you would just listen in, Otso… and no.” The Esper gave Beatrice a level look. “Who taught you magic, Beatrice? And don’t say ‘no one’. We both know it doesn’t work that way.”

“Jason Lamperouge,” Beatrice said simply. “Now leave.”

Dennis dropped the disguise and then put up another sphere of illusion to prevent their conversation from being heard from outside. “There probably is no good way to say this: Martin and I believe that Beatrice learned her magic from someone—be it the Faustians or a third party—that were involved in the recent removal of a number of seals the Aurelius had placed to protect the school. And that she herself possibly may have been involved as well.”

“I asked you to leave,” Beatrice said as her beau argued, “So what? Whether any of what you just said is true or not, nothing changes for me. I’ll still stand by her side no matter what, and if she’s broken something, I’ll help her fix it.”

“I hate you,” Steven said matter-of-factly, “but how could I hate my Kirstie?”

Kirstie looked from Lex to Steven, then back to Lex and back to Steven. “I don’t know what your game is, but if you’re messing with me, I will pummel you worse than your brother will.”

Steven grinned at her. “Fine, but we should probably come up with a safe word first.”

NVAE, MAIN OFFICE (Violet; NPCs: Lillian Murphy, Newton)
Violet lost control and snickered loudly, but not before she got a good picture of the proceedings. “Do you, uh… heh, need a hand, Mister Newton? Er, I mean, another hand?”

Newton flashed Violet a glare and made his way to the door. “I fear something has come over Missus Murphy.”

“Violet, dear, I’m afraid the headmaster is occupied.” The secretary flashed her a devious grin. “Be a dear and close the door?”

Violet detected someone behind her and turned to find Doctor Yavorshak standing there with someone she had never seen before. “Good morning, Violet,” the school’s counselor said hastily. “Headmaster, this is Dwight Kowalski—Otso’s uncle?”

Dwight offered the man his hand. “Hello, Mister Newton.” He smiled pleasantly at the man. “My grandson is absolutely flabbergasted that I was going to be meeting you. I tried to tell him that you couldn’t be the Isaac Newton, but I’m not sure how convinced he is.”

As the man laughed nervously, the headmaster gave a yelp. His administrative assistant had snuck up on him and planted a hand on his rear. “I’m afraid the headmaster was getting debriefed,” the woman said, reaching around him for the door. “If you’ll excuse us?”

The headmaster darted out into the hall, shutting the door behind him. With Missus Murphy locked in, he rounded on Doctor Yavorshak. “Stephanie,” he said, his voice dripping with urgency, “be a dear and fetch… anyone. Missus Murphy has taken leave of her senses and I dread some sort of psychic tampering.”

As she ran off, the smile left Dwight’s face. “Psychic tamptering?” he asked. “Sir, this is precisely what I was telling you: I don’t feel that this… ‘school’ is safest environment for my nephew.”

NVAE, BOYS’ DORM (Jack; NPCs: J.R.)
“You wanna be pissed at me because your ‘mom and dad’ ain’t together here, because she’s dating me? Fine, that ain’t how it went down! Though you oughta try talking to us—all of us—to find out why. Keep up what you’re doing and I’ll give you a reason to be pissed at me!”

“Dumbass,” snapped J.R., “I ain’t pissed because you’re with my mom! I’m pissed because I’m not going to be born! I’m pissed because I’m never going to get to know them! My folks died when I was little! I never got a chance to know them—just what you told me about them! Even if I talk to them now, they’re not going to be the same people! They’re not going to be my parents!

“Hell, look at that little girl—your daughter? Her mom wants nothing to do with her. She keeps insisting that she’s not her mom, right? She’s someone completely different from the woman who gives birth to her? Well, what’s to stop them from saying the same thing? From deciding they’re not really my parents? I came here with a group, Jack. Tara and Bart went to the States to look for Tara’s parents. I have no idea where they are or how to contact them. For all we know, they’re dead—kids Tina and Bianca and I grew up with and they’re just out there somewhere. I came here—we came here—because my parents were here and if you’re with my mom and she’s a different person, then what the hell was this all for? What if I just ruined my friends’ lives over this? Chasing two people who will never be? Who will never have any emotional connection to me? Who will never be able to tell me about how dad proposed, or what their wedding was like, or how they reacted when they found out they were having me, or what they were going to name me if I had been a girl, or…? My entire identity is gone, Jack! I tried—I really tried to be happy that someone I look up to was making my mom happy—but I just… I can’t get past feeling sorry for myself, and I hate that. I do. I know I’m being selfish, but… I grew up in a nightmare, just like you did. I thought this was going to be the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s not. It’s just a big freaking joke.”

NVAE, CAFETERIA (Tamati; NPCs: Robyn, Shelby)
“What the… how did you do that? That’s ba—I mean… can you reverse it?”

Robyn shrugged. “Probably.” She looked back to Shelby. “So, want me to meddle?”

I’ll pause to give you a chance to respond, Gilliam.

NVAE, GIRLS’ DORM (Martin; NPCs: Tatjana)
Martin’s second phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. The only time the phone Dewhurst had given him ever rang was when Dewhurst was calling.

Well, this wasn't going well. "Think this through." Dennis commented, trying give a 'voice of reason' aspect. "The headmaster already knows about the investigation." Well, Dennis didn't know that, but he knew Newton knew the Aurelius, and Robyn couldn't have been planted in the school without the headmaster's knowledge.

Hopefully he could at least reach Otso with sense. "I'm giving you the opportunity to resolve this quietly. Tell the truth, and we can fix this. Start something, and it won't end well."

GamesImago in New Vindicators Academy of EuropeVortex in Force OPsEvan Roadbound in The Golden Wheel TurnsMenagerie in Claremont Academy: The Delinquents

"He knows there is an investigation. I haven't yet told him we suspect Beatrice." Dennis ground out. "But fine. Forget that I am trying to help by clearing this up quickly and quietly before it gets out and wrecks your relationships with everyone else. Forget that this is the school's safety at stake. I guess you Beatrice, are more interested in denials and you Otso, in defending your girlfriend rather than fixing anything."

'Robyn' reappeared. "Goodbye." 'She' opened the door and left, slamming it behind 'her.' Dennis stalked out the dorm. FUCK FUCK FUCK, the damn fae would take this sort of thing as a license to run wild!

GamesImago in New Vindicators Academy of EuropeVortex in Force OPsEvan Roadbound in The Golden Wheel TurnsMenagerie in Claremont Academy: The Delinquents

"Okay, first off? Ew. Second off? Ew!" Lex ticks the notes off on his fingers, "Third? I think somebody got tired of Steven's crap and used their powers to screw with him. 'Cause none of this is making any damn sense."

NVAE, GIRLS’ DORMS (Dennis, Otso; NPCs: Beatrice, Ellen, Lena, Tatjana, Wendy)
Dennis opened the door and left, slamming it behind him. He was a few steps down the hall before he heard the door open again. Beatrice stepped out and hurled a lamp at his head. He ducked and it shattered against the wall behind him. "Go to 'ell!" she screamed at the illusionist. "You asked a question, I gave an answer, but it didn't fit wiz ze narrative you and Martin cooked up!" Other doors were opening. Other girls were stepping out of their rooms. "You said ze 'eadmaster sanctioned your investigation? Good! Zen you won't mind if I give 'im an update of 'ow you used an illusion to sneak into ze dorms, tried to trap me in my room, and 'arassed me. Oui, Dennis?"

Behind him, Otso appeared in the hall.

"Everybody calm down!" Wendy exclaimed. Dennis felt a feint tickle at the back of his head.

Then talk of "Psychic tampering" started to drain the enjoyment Violet was getting from the situation, a little anyway. It was still adults engaging in the sort of thing that would get a student. The Lex's dad knocked over someone Violet didn't recognize. More and more, this was looking like something she didn't want to be involved with. Lex's mom and dad were both acting weird. Whatever it was, she didn't want to get into some family thing so she texted Kirstie to find out if she was with Lex.

"Funny," Lex drawls with a smirk, "I was about to say this part seems downright normal for him."

He stopped holding the power inside and it crashed through the doors and filled his body. A small part of him remembered a time that he had to pull it out, now he had to force it down. Was it getting stronger?

"I wouldn't worry about him getting hurt, I can run circles around Steven here all day if'n I feel like it," Lex noted in a bored tone, though never taking his eyes off his 'homicidal' little brother.

The bullets on his bracelet were a constant reminder to keep his eyes on the target.

"So who you think it is? I'd say it was your Aunt but... why? Doesn't make any sense to go after Steven," Lex shakes his head.

As he entered the hall, Otso saw Dennis retreating from Beatrice's door. He felt a tickle at the back of his head but brushed it aside, he was too angry to care where it came from.

He took in the residents drawn out of their rooms by the commotion, his eyes lingering on Dennis for a moment. Finally he barreled down the hall to Beatrice, brushing brusquely past the Swiss teen. One final, angry, warning look in passing was all he offered before he turned his full focus to his girlfriend. "Are you okay?"

"Go to 'ell!" someone shouted in the hall. "You asked a question, I gave an answer, but it didn't fit wiz ze narrative you and Martin cooked up!"

Tatjana flashed Martin a confused and worried look. She crossed the room and slipped into the hall to investigate.

"It would 'elp if I could get a copy of ze file and any video footage from Caballero. 'E was never captured, correct?"

Martin's free hand extended toward the door as Tatjana opened it. His eyes and nose sunk leaving a blank upper half of his face to travel to his elongated palm and he both peeked and sniffed into the hallway.

Martin’s free hand extended towards the door as Tatjana opened it. His eye and nose sunk, leaving a blank upper half of his face to travel to his elongated palm. He took a whiff of the hallway as he scanned the surroundings: several girls were in the hallway, staring at Robyn. Beatrice looked furious. Otso was stomping past her. He slipped his arms around his girlfriend and said something.

“Given the revelation that Pandora was just feeding the ranks of the Armada, the Hague hasn’t been sentencing super-powered criminals there… Applebottom has some people looking into where they’re being kept, but I’m not privy to that, Martin. I don’t know where Caballero is, but… the file from his initial arrest? I can probably get my hands on it. The second time—when you guys took him down during the Armada fiasco? I don’t know who took him in…”

NVAE, CAFETERIA (Tamati; NPCs: Robyn, Shelby)
“Can you tell us more about the love potion and why you want to help Shelby?”

Robyn shrugged. “I’m feeling magnanimous. That and I’m boooooooooored. I mean, I’ve been here—what, two days?—and the most exciting thing to happen was that I got to pretend to be a Vindicator to some police in Spain. Honestly, playing matchmaker just seems like the most productive use of my time at the moment.”